Gasifier



Nov, 21. 1939. c.7 1.3.,LARSEN GASIFIER Filed oct. 21, 19:56

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENToR. (Aff/ 5. fr/gsm.

ATTORNEY Nov. 21; 1939.

c. la.k LARsEN GASIFIER Filed OL. 2l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v FralINVENToR. CARL LAesfA/ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1939v UNITED STATESFFME GASIFIER Carl B. Larsen,

Racine, Wis., assignor to J'. I.

Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation Application October 21, 1936,Serial No. 106,775

14 Claims.

in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a tractor embodying an engine includingan example of the improved gasifying means.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the gasier alone, enlarged and with partsb-roken away.

Fig. 3 is a similar view depicting more particularly the now of thevarious uids in the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, andshowing certain parts in a diierent position.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the retort structure taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View of another portion of the retorttaken on the line 7 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a similar of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2.

The invention is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to an engine used on atractor including the usual wheels I0 and I I, transmission housing I2,steering apparatus I3, fuel tank generally denoted b-y numeral lli,radiator l5, and engine I6, the gasier of the present invention beingcarried by the engine, and generally designated by numeral l?. In thepresent instance the engine I6 provides a plurality of inlet ports I8,Fig. 3, and exhaust ports I9, Fig. 4, which are closely related to thegasier as will appear.

'I'he gasiiier proper, as readily seen in Fig. 3, belongs to the generalclass in which an overrich mixture is formed with a part of the enteringair, the mixture being heated and diluted or blended with other airbefore being used in the engine. It comprises a plurality of passagewaysthrough which fuel and air are drawn by the View taken on the line 8 8View of the device (ci. 12s-iss) action of the engine, together withsuitable liquid fuel feeding and controlling means. Thus the enginedraws in mixture through the intake ports I8, this being suppliedthrough an intake manifold of usual or suitable form, and discharges *.5exhaust gases through exhaust ports ES, into an exhaust manifoldgenerally designated as 2|, which also serves a purpose in forming thecombustible mixture.

The air is initially supplied through a pipe or `1 0 stack E2, Fig. 2,passing through a fitting 23, formed for convenience as part of theexhaust manifold, into an air cleaner 2d of suitable or Well-known form,in the present instance having a removable reservoir or sump forwell-known 15 purposes.

Part of the cleaned air is induced through a `passageway 2t, Fig. 3, ina iitting 2i, passing through a mixing or primary air passageway 28, inan atomizing portion generally denoted by 20 numeral 29, wherein itpicks up liquid fuel, the resulting mixture passing through an exhaustheated retort til and a pipe or passageway 3l into a mixing throat orsecondary air `passageway generally denoted by numeral 32. The heatingy25 effect of the relatively large retort 3K9 makes practical the use offuels so heavy as to be ordinarily considered fit only for engines ofthe compression ignition type.

Other or secondary air, also from air cleaner A24, is induced through apassageway 33 in tting 21, passing to mixing throat 32 through apassageway 34, where it meets the above mentioned mixture coming frompipe 3l, the resulting iinished or blended mixture passing out of thethroat 35 into the intake manifold 2li, and so into the engine.

The engine is started on gasoline or the like, and operated Auntil theretort 3i! is hot, after which it operates on heavy fuel, and the meansfor supplying these fuels is as follows:

Tank ld, Fig. l, is provided with two chambers 35 and 36, chamber 35having an outlet valve 31- discharging into a fuel nlter 38, and chamber36 having a discharge valve 39, also discharging 45 into filter 38. Fromthe iilter a pipe line 40 leads to the liquid fuel supplying apparatus,so that, by means of the valves 3l and 39, it is possible to supply fueltothe engine from either of the chambers 35 or St.

Atomizing portion 29, Fig. 3, in the present instance is a castingembodying the above described passageways 2B and 313, and, forsupporting a iioat chamber or bowl M, Fig. 2, it has a downwardlyextending stem portion 42 passing integrally therewith.

through the bottom of the bowl il, which is clamped against a shoulder@i3 on the stem by means of a nut or the like M, the upper edge of thebowl seating against a suitable cover portion 15, on portion 2S, andforming an upper closure for the bowl. A suitable float d@ controls thelevel of liquid in the bowl in well known manner not shown.

Stem l2 is hollow and provides one or more openings 1 communicating frombcwi il! to the bore 48 of the stem. A fuel nozzle @il is preferablyfixed in an upper portion of stem @-2, communicating with a bore i8thereof, the discharge end of the nozzle being disposed in 'the presentinstance at about the mid-portion of mixing passageway 28, and within a'Venturi tube fail, which, upon flow of air in passageway 2B will causea reduction of pressure in nozzle iil, and atomizing of liquidtherefrom, and accordingly from bowl 4l. The liquid is broken up by theair blast into a spray and carried on to the engine after being gasifiedand diluted as above outlined. For regulating the proportions of fuel toair, a needle Valve 5i is adjustable in a suitable bushing E52 and has atapered portion 53 arranged to enter the nozzle a limited amount tocontrol the flow of fuel therefrom, the amount of fuel allowed to flowdepending upon the setting of the valve. In practice the mixture formedat this point is much too rich to fire, so that there is no difficultyfrom igniting of the fuel in the retort.

Retort 3B may or may not be formed as a single piece with exhaustmanifold 2 l but in the present illustrative embodiment it is shown asformed It comprises a long passageway of relatively small cross section,and, in the present instance, flat, as shown particularly7 in Fig. 6,although other forms which would bring the mixture into intimate contactwith the heated walls are contemplated as equivalent.

The cross sectional area of the passageway is sufficiently small toinsure the maintenance of a velocity of flow therethrough high enough tomaintain the liquid spray in suspension until it is gasied.

In the present instance the cylinders of the engine are divided into twogroups, one group exhausting into a portion 54, of manifold 2 l, and theother group into a portion and these portions are kept separate, onecommunicating with a passageway 5G, Fig. 6, and the other with a pas'-sageway 51, these passageways being on opposite sides of passageway orretort Sli. In this way the total quantity of hot gas is substantiallyequally divided, and the retort more evenly heated than it would be ifthe exhaust were allowed to discharge into a single chamber and thendivided to pass on both sides of the retor Attention is particularlydirected to the fact that retort 30 is a straight passageway extendingcompletely through an inclined portion 58 of manifold 2 l, the lowerextremity or opening being covered during operation by a closure 59maintained in position by a screw of the like as shown, and the upperopening being covered by a similar closure Gil, held by a screw or thelike 6l.

It is therefore possible, by simply removing closures 59 and 6l) to runa tool completely through the retort, and thus to readily remove anyaccumulation of carbon, dirt, or other foreign matter which might occurtherein. This idea may be further carried out, mixing passageway 28,above mentioned, registering in a straight line with a passageway G2extending through the lower end of portion 58 of exhaust manifold 2l,

the end of this passageway being closed by suitable means such forexample as a removable plug t3. This passageway may accordingly also becleaned by the insertion of a suitable tool.

The upper end of retort 3G widens out into a chamber 64, Fig. 8, fromwhich leads a port 65 communicating with above mentioned pipe orpassageway 3l. This pipe, in the present illustrative embodiment, iscomposed entirely of straight sections so that drills or other tools canbe run through every part for cleaning. Thus as seen particularly inFig. 4, the pipe comprises a straight middle section 55 having atransverse portion 61 provided with a flange bil or other suitable meansfor attachment to manifold 2l. Portion 6l is straight, and at one endopens into port 65, while at its other end it intersects portion B6 andis closed by a removable plug 553 which may be removed for the insertionof a cleaning tool, which may pass clear through into chamber 64.Portion 66 is closed at its'ends by plugs 1l) and 1l, which may beremoved for cleaning, and a tool may pass completely through the portionas will be apparent. Pipe 3i has another transverse portion 12connecting with above mentioned blending throat 32, a flange 13 or othersuitable attaching means being provided as shown.

A removable plug 14 permits insertion of a cleaning tool into portion12, which tool may pass completely through into the throat.

The stream of exhaust gas coming down portion 56 of manifold 2l passesdirectly to an exhaust pipe or stack 15 as clearly shown in Fig. 3,while thatcoming through portion 51 passes in front of retort portion 30as shown in Fig. 7 through a by-pass chamber 16 to stack 15.

Fig. 5 shows the details of blending throat 32. It comprises a tubularportion 'i'i having a restriction 18 therein, and providing a port 19through which the heated rich mixture from retort 351 and pipe 3lenters. Air flows upwardly in tube 11, and, under full flow conditions,restriction 18 causes enough reduction of pressure at port 19 to assurea suiiicient flow in the pipe 3l and mixing passage 2B above mentionedto cause efficient atomizing at the fuel nozzle t9. Under low throttleconditions restriction 18 assists in thoroughly blending the richmixture and secondary air, causing smoother running of the engine thanthat obtained without the restriction.

A throttle valve Si! of buttery or other suitable type is interposed intubular portion 11 beyond port 19, and may' be. controlled in anysuitable manner for regulating the speed and power of the engine, aconnection 8l for this purpose, Fig. 1, from a suitable or well knowntype of governor (not shown) being provided in the present instance.Manual control may be exercised over the engine by means of a lever 3lwhich may influence either the governor or the throttle in any suitableor well known manner forming no part of the present invention.

Connection Si, as shown in Fig. 4, engages a lever 82 xed on a shaft 83journaled in substantially gas-tight manner in the walls of tube 11, andupon which valve il() is mounted.

At low throttle openings, there would be insufficient flow of airthrough restriction 18, Fig. 5, to provide the necessary vacuum at port19, and the supply of mixture from pipe 3i would be deficient. Toprovide against this contingency a valve 84 is arranged in tube 11 onthe upstream side of restriction 18, this valve being mounted on a shaft85, and normally controlled dependently with valve 80 above mentioned.

Shaft 83, as'shown in Fig. 2, has an arm 86 having pivotally securedthereto an apertured member 81 through which passes a rod 88, preferablyadjustably engaged with a clevis or the like 89 pivotally secured to anarm 98 fixed on above mentioned shaft 85. Rod 88 carries a stop 9| inthe present instance above member 81, and a slidable collar 92 is urgedby a spring 93 against the under side of member 8'1, the spring bearingat suitable means justment.

Normally stop 9| is maintained against member 8'! by spring 98, and rod88, and accordingly valve 84 partakes of movements of valve 80 and arm86.' In the event, however, that it is `desirable to close, or partiallyclose valve 84, asshown in Fig. 5, without affecting valve 8U, this canbe done, rod 88 sliding through the aperture in member 8'1, and collar92, and spring 83 yielding to permit this movement.

This might be necessary in starting the engine, and it is readilyeffected by means of a choke rod 98 operable from a convenient position,in the present instance in front of the tractor, and connectingpivotally with an arm 91, Fig. 2, loose on shaft 85, and having' anabutment 85n arranged to engage a pin or the like h fixed on arm 98, tourge the arm in a direction to close valve 88.

engine so as to obtain a very strong` suction through port 'i9 andmixing passageway 28. It should be noted that, under these conditions,the tractor governor will be holding the valve 89 in its fully openedposition, but, on account of the extremely low engine speed there willbe very little flow in the tube '17, and virtually no vacuum in theneighborhood of port 19. Closing valve 88 causes substantially all theair drawn in to pass through port 19, and accordingly through mixingpassageway 23, so that a suitable spray issues from nozzle 49, and theengine starts readily.

When the device is applied to an engine which is not equipped with agovernor the valve 88 will ordinarily not be opened wide for starting,but only sufciently to give a moderate idling speed, but, in any event,the restriction caused by valve 84 when closed is made to substantiallyexceed that of valve 88 when in starting position, so that asatisfactory draft of air is obtained through primary air passageway 28,retort 30, pipe 3|, and port 79.

Immediately upon firing of the engine, the suction past valve 38 isenormously increased, so that the additional restriction caused by theclosing of valve 88 is no longer necessary. Choke rod 96 is accordinglyreleased, whereupon the spring S3 restores valve 84 to its correctrunning relation with valve 8d, and the rod -88 and its associatedmechanism maintains this relation, as above outlined.

Rod 86 may be retracted by suitable or well known means such as spring96a to remove abutment 85a from pin 85h, and prevent interference withfree movement of arm 98.

In practical operation chamber 38 of tank M, Fig. 1, is lled withgasoline or similar volatile fuel, while chamber 35 is illed withfurnace oil,

Diesel oil, or other non-volatile fuel, and the gasoline, through valve39, is allowed to iiow into bowl 4i, whereupon the engine is started asabove explained. As soon as the engine fire/s, choke rod 96 is releasedso that valve 89 `opens to an extent corresponding approximately to theopening of valve 88, but the large flow of air through restriction 'i8occurring when the engine starts causes a sui'cient vacuum at the mouthof port 'i9 to induce a strong fiow of air through mixing passageway 28so as to induce suitable atomizing of fuel at nozzle 49.

As soon as the engine reaches full speed, unless the load is heavy, thegovernor closes, or nearly closes Valve 88, which results in a greatlydecreased flow through tube 11, and this would result in a greatlyreduced fiow through mixing passageway 28 if it were not for the factthat valve 84 is also closed, and,by virtue of the adjustment providedin rod 88, in the ratio necessary to maintain a substantially constant,or suitable quality of mixture at various openings of throttle valve 88.

Flow of the exhaust gas through passageways 5S and 5l' quickly heatsretort 80, and in a short time after the engine is started valve 39 maybe closed and valve 31 opened, whereupon heavy fuel flows through lter38 and pipe 48 into bowl 4|. As the resulting heavy fuel mixture passesthrough the hot retort 30 it is sufficiently heated to be vaporized, theproduct flowing in pipe 3| being in the nature of a rich mixture of adry gas and air.

The proportions of this mixture are readily controlled by suitableadjustment of needle valve 5l, and the degree of blending of thismixture with fresh air in throat 32 iseasily controlled by adjusting therod 88, the rst adjustment corresponding in a sense to the low-speed ad?justment, and the second to the high-speed adjustment of an ordinarycarburetor.

In this device, as above stated, it is practical to vaporize or gasifyoils for use in an ordinary typeof internal combustion engine, whichpreviously have been usable only in engines of the compression ignitiontype.

If the use of thesev fuels is `attended with the deposit of a certainamount of carbon or other material in the retort 39 or connectingpassageways 62 or 3|, it is a simple matter to remove the closuresprovided, when suitable cleaning tools or the like can be run throughall of the passageways likely to receive such deposits. 'I'his is thework of only a few minutes, and need be done ordinarily only once infrom one to seven days with heavy fuels. With gasoline, kerosene, andthe lighter distillates cleaning isusually not required, or if at allonly at very long intervals.

W'hile the disclosed embodiment of the invention shows an up-draftarrangement of the parts, it is to be understood that the principlesherein set forth are equally adaptable to a down-draft arrangement, andthat the invention is'not to be taken as limited to the arrangementshown, or in fact in any way except as defined in the claims.

The upwardly inclined arrangement of retort 30 is advantageous in`facilitating a compact arrangement of the various passageways, inobtaining av counter-flow arrangement of the heating and cooling gases,and in assisting in preventing the carrying over of unvaporizedparticles of the heavy fuel, and this arrangement also makesconveniently possible the division of the issuing exhaust gas into` twoseparate streams sol as above explained, resulting in a very evenheating of the retort, which in turn is at least partly responsible forthe extreme effectiveness of the device.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. In a gasifier for an internal combustion engine, a primary airpassageway, a fuel nozzle arranged to communicate with said passageway,a passageway leading to said engine, and spaced flow controlling valvesin the second-mentioned air passageway, said primary air passagewaycommunicating with said second-mentioned passageway between said valves,a connection from one of said valves to the other including a stop forpositively actuating the second-mentioned valve from movements of thefirst-mentioned valve in one direction, a yieldaole element arranged toimpositively urge said second-mentioned `valve from movements of saidfirst-mentioned valve in the opposite direction, means for moving saidfirst-mentioned valve for controlling said engine, and means for movingsaid second-mentioned valve independently of said first-mentioned valveby virtue of yielding of said yieldabie element, for temporarilychanging the relation between said valves.

2. In a gasier an air passageway, a fuel nozzle arranged to communicatewith said air passageway, and said passageway being extended to form afuel vaporizing retort, a manifold for collecting heated fluid, meansdividing said manifold into a plurality of exhaust chambers, andindependent passageways individual to said chambers and extending alongthe sides of said retort for thorough and uniform heating thereof.

3. In a gasier a primary air passageway, a fuel nozzle arranged tocommunicate with said primary air passageway, a manifold for collectingheated fluid, means dividing said manifold into a plurality ofindependent chambers, and a mixture heating retort between saidchambers, a secondary air passageway, and connections for flow of fuelmixture from said primary air passag'eway into said retort, and fromsaid retort to said secondary air passageway, there being means beyondsaid secondary air passageway for regulating the flow of mixture to apoint of use.

Ll. In a gasifler for an internal combustion engine, a manifold, tubularpassageways extending from different portions of the manifold forconveying uid from the latter and forming therebetween a longitudinallyarranged retort heated by the fluid, means communicating with the retortfor producing and conveying volatile mixtures into the retort, an airpassageway, and means connecting the retort to said passageway forconveying heated mixtures into the latter.

5. In a gasier for an internal combustion engine, a source of heatedfluid, tubular passageways extending from different portions of saidsource for conveying heated iiuid from the latter and formingtherebetween a longitudinally arranged retort heated by the fluid meanscommunicating with the retort for producing and conveying volatilemixtures into the retort, an air passageway, and means connecting theretort to said passageway for conveying heated mixtures into the latterto be conveyed thereby to a point of use.

6. In a gasifler a manifold for collecting heated fluid, a plurality ofconduits independently connected to and communicating with differentportions of the manifold, said conduits being spaced apart to form aretort therebetween heated by fluid flowing through the conduits to anoutlet, a primary air passageway communicating with the retort, a fuelreceptacle associated with the passageway, a fuel nozzle communicatingwith the passageway and cooperating with the receptacle for atomizingfuel to be conveyed into the retort, a secondary air passageway andmeans connecting the retort to the secondary air passageway forconveying volatile mixtures into the latter to be thence discharged to apoint of use.

7, In a gasier the combination of a manifold for collecting heatedfluid, a plurality of conduits independently connected to andcommunicating with different portions of the manifold for conveyingheated uid therefrom, a retort between said conduits, and means foratomizing fuel to be conveyed through the retort and heated by the fluidin the conduits.

S. In a gasifier including a manifold, the combination, with the latter,of a combined retort and heating conduits positioned at opposite sidesthereof, independently connected to and oomrnunicating with differentportions of the manifold for conveying heated gases from the manifoldalong the sides of the retort for heating volatile mixtures passingtherethrough.

`9. In a gasifier for an internal combustion. engine a primary airpassageway, a fuel nozzle arranged to communicate with said passageway,means for supplying liquid fuel to said nozzle, a secondary airpassageway, said passageways being arranged to join in a singlepassageway leading to said engine, a throttle valve in said singlepassageway, a regulating valve in said secondary air passageway, arestriction in said secondary air passageway, the junction between saidprimary and secondary air passageways being between said restriction andsaid throttle valve, whereby the reduction in pressure caused by saidrestriction under fully open throttle conditions will cause a draft ofair through said primary air passageway, and a connection for operatingsaid regulating valve dependently with said throttle valve and arrangedto cause said regulating valve to restrict said secondary air passagewaysufficiently under low throttle conditions to maintain a suitable vacuumto induce a sufficient flow through said primary air passageway to drawa proper quantity of fuel from said nozzle.

l0. In a gasifier for an internal combustion engine a primary airpassageway, a fuel nozzle arranged to communicate with said passageway,means for supplying liquid fuel to said nozzle, a secondary airpassageway, said passageways being arranged to join in a singlepassageway leading to said engine, a throttle valve in said singlepassageway, a regulating valve in said secondary air passageway, aconnection between said throttle valve and said regulating valve fordependent operation of said valves, a restriction in said sec-- ondaryair passageway said restriction being as to cause a vacuum in saidsecondary air passageway under full throttle conditions, such as tocause a draft of air in said primary air passageway sufcient to draw aproper quantity of fuel from said nozzle, and said connection beingadjustable to cause said regulating valve, under various low-throttleconditions, to restrict said secondary air passageway sufciently tomaintain a draft of air in said primary air passageway sufciently strongto draw a proper quantity of fuel from said nozzle under each of saidconditions.

`ai.prirriar'y` air passageway, a fuel nozzle arranged toy communicatewith said passageway, a secondary air passageway arranged to Join said 5primary air passageway, and a blended mixture passageway leading fromthe juncture of the aforesaid passageways to said engine, spaced iiowcontrolling valves, one of said valves in said blended mixturepassageway and another of said 10 valves in said secondary airpassageway, whereby said primary air passageway joins the otherpassageways between said valves, a connection from one of said valves tothe other including a stop for positively actuating the second-mentioned15 valve from movements of the first-mentioned valve in one direction, ayieldable element arranged to impositively urge said second-mem tionedValve from movements of said first-mentioned valve in the oppositedirection, means for 20 moving said first-mentioned valve forcontrolling said engine, and means for moving said secondmentioned valveindependently of said first-mentioned valve by virtue of yielding ofsaid yieldabe element, for temporarily changing the r between saidvalves.

itil iliuiliflli ltite'ifel pendent chambers, and including a pluralityof independent discharge conduits individual to said chambers, saidconduits being spaced apart and 5 providing a mixture heating retorttherebetween.

13. An exhaust manifold for an engine, said manifold being divided intoal plurality of independent chambers, and including a plurality ofindependent, downwardly directed discharge conduits individual to saidchambers, said conduits being spaced apart and providing a mixtureheating retort therebetween, and said conduits being arranged tointercommunicate at their lower ends to provide a common dischargeoutlet.

14. An exhaust manifold for an engine, said 15 manifold being dividedinto a plurality of independent chambers, and including a plurality ofindependent discharge conduits individual to said chambers, saidconduits being spaced apart and forming therebetween a straight attenedtube of uniform cross section

